The Pickens County Sheriff's Office has arrested one suspect and continues to search for another in a string of automobile break-ins.

Joshua Luke Pinyon, 22, of Easley, was arrested on June 26. Brandon Scott Creel, 28, also from Easley, remains on the loose.

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Chief Deputy Creed Hashe said the suspects were partners in crime and broke into 16 vehicles. Hashe said the pair stole seven handguns, a rifle, sunglasses, electronic devices and pocketbooks. Pinyon and Creel face a total of 58 charges in a string of incidents that happened between April 4 and May 12.

Hashe, almost all of the vehicles were left unlocked and during nighttime hours when the victims were sleeping.

"Our detectives followed every lead and piece of information throughout this investigation to catch these thieves. Our progress in the use of new crime mapping tools and other intelligence software is starting to pay off," Sheriff Rick Clark said. "Technology does not always solve the case for us but it certainly helps us to visualize patterns of crime by highlighting similarities and patterns at a much faster pace than previous methods done by hand”.

Pinyon is being held at the Pickens County Detention Center with a bond set at $89,000.